Improvement in knife scourers and polishers



A. E. MCDONALD. Knife Soourer' and Polisher.

N0.'199,457. Patented Jan. 22,1818,

f- \NVENTOH= area 0 W c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. MCDONALD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFHIS RIGHT TO JOHN R. SLOANE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNIFE SCOURERS AND POLISHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,457, dated January22, 1878; application filed November 22, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. MCDON- ALD, of the city of Hartford,in. the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have inventedcertain Improvements in Knife Scourers and Polishers, of which thefollowing is a be grasped in using, all as will be hereinafter setforth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved scourer,showing it in practical use. Fig. 2 is a plan. of the same. Figs 3, 4,and 5 show modified forms of the molded edge. I.

A is the scouring-block, to which is affixed a suitable handle, B. Thescouring-block is preferably molded solid from a composition of emeryand cement; but it may be of any other composition of gritty materialssuitable for scouring; or it may have a core of wood, or its equivalent,coated with emery or other gritty material of a similar character.

The face of the block is made rounded or convex in one direction, so asto conform in some degree to the curvature of the knifeblade produced bypressure in scouring.

In the other direction thesurface is straight or plane. One, two, ormore of the edges of the block are molded substantially as represented,the principal object being to provide ooncaves, hollows, or grooves a a,for scouring or polishing the tines of forks, &c.

Another object is to form rounded beads, ribs, or surfaces 1) b, whichserve for scouring .hollows or concavi ties.

I have shown the block as square in horizontal contour, with moldings onall four of its edges, and I prefer this form as being the mostconvenient and symmetrical; but the block may be round, oval, orpolygonal, or the molding may be omitted from one or more sides, or bedifferently made on different sides, without departing from my inventionin any material degree.

The lower face of the block 0 should be in the nature of a segment of alarge cylinder, and I prefer to have the curvature rather slight, thatin the drawing being quite as sharp as will ordinarily be needed.

The handle B might be formed of and with the block A; but Iprefer tomake it separate, and affix it by means of glue, or in any convenientway.

Should the faces of theblock become clogged with grease, or show atendency to glaze, they may be washed in warm water, and all impuritiesbe removed.

I am aware that pads of soft material and rounded shape for applyingscouring or polishing powder have been extensively used, and I make noclaim to any such devices.

The distinctive feature of my invention consists in the compact andsolid nature of the scouring-block, molded to shape, whereby theannoyance arising from the use of powder is avoided.

Having thus described my invention, I

